UNL team wins men's flag football national championship

            The University of Nebraska-Lincoln men's flag football team took first place in the National Flag Football Championships Jan. 4-6 in Orlando, Fla. The team, nebflagfootball.com, won all six of its games at the championship and beat Angelo State 27-14 in the championship game.

            Corey Serrano, a sophomore from North Platte, was named national most valuable player and Kevin Dickens Jr., a senior from Kansas City, Mo., was named an All-American. The team, coached by Wyatt Godfrey of Lincoln, earned free entry to the national tournament by winning the Arkansas Regional in October.

            The competition is conducted by the NIRSA National Campus Championship Series. NIRSA, headquartered in Corvallis, Ore., is the leading resource for professional and student development, education and research in collegiate recreational sports. Established in 1950, it includes nearly 4,000 professional, student and associate members in the United States, Canada and elsewhere, serving an estimated 5.5 million students who regularly participate in campus recreational sports programs.

            The National Campus Championship Series is the organization's campus non-varsity sports series that brings students from all over the country together to compete in extramural team sports.

            Nebflagfootball.com also was runner-up in the flag football national championship sponsored by American Collegiate Intramural Sports Dec. 28-31 in Pensacola, Fla., and took second place in the ACIS Flag Football Regionals on the UNL campus in November. The team has a 34-2 record this year and a 81-10 record since it was created. Additional honors at UNL include three pre-season tournament championships, three Independent A championships and three all-university championships.

            UNL offers more than 60 intramural sports activities a year in men's, women's and co-rec leagues. The events exist to develop students' skills, build relationships and provide camaraderie with fellow students. While most intramural sports take place on campus, there are opportunities for students to compete extramurally with other schools and universities around the country. Intramural sports are managed by the Office of Campus Recreation.

            Following is a list by hometown of nebflagfootball.com team members.

            Columbus: Kirby Reardon, senior.

            Crofton: Calvin Mueller, senior.

            Diller: Ethan Thorp, senior.

            Kansas City, Mo.: Kevin Dickens Jr., senior.

            Lincoln: Matt Domangue, graduate student; Jamaal Hale, senior.

            North Platte: Corey Serrano, sophomore; Josh Tanner, graduate student.

            Omaha: Donte Perry, senior.

            Panama: Cody Wedding, senior.

            Sargent: Luke Tobias, senior.

            Sutton: Matt McElfresh, senior.

Writer: Christopher Dulak, Asst. Director, Marketing and Development, Campus Recreation, 402-472-8749